Energy is not exclusive to coal, gas and oil

Staff Writer

Governor Dayton's visit to the Iron Range and his controversial position against the Twin Metals Mining project made crystal clear the legitimate, fundamental need for jobs that do not have long-term potential or controversial consequences. Such a solution currently faces NE Minnesota, though few realize the significance of the debate. MN Power, like Xcel Energy, is required to produce 1.5 percent of its energy from solar power. Xcel Energy, which serves our neighbors to the south, is restructuring so that private citizens can both contribute power to (through their own solar panels) and receive power from the power grid. The 1,300 applications Xcel energy is processing from citizens and organizations suggests that citizens are ready to be producing their own energy. MN Power, on the other hand, is offering no such option, but merely promises to build solar panels itself and appears ready to charge us about 12 cents per kilowatt to use this energy. This proposal is currently under review by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission and seeking public input.

The reality is, energy is no longer the exclusive ground of the coal, gas, and oil industries. Utility companies that recognize this are going to serve their customers much better in the long run. Sun and wind energy is accessible to any citizen able to harness it. We still need the "grid" to ensure continuous access to energy; this is the service that utilities will be needed for in the future, and for which they should structure themselves, and for which we should pay them. But the energy is no longer theirs, and the sooner they recognize this, the better off we will be. Add to this the happy fact that investment in a green economy creates vastly more jobs than the fossil fuel economy: $1 million dollars worth of oil and natural gas output directly creates 0.8 jobs, and $1 million of coal produces 1.9 jobs. Compare that to building retrofits for energy efficiency (7 jobs per million), mass transit services (11 jobs), building the smart grid (4.3), wind (4.6), solar (5.4), and biomass power generation (7.4). The green economy already supports more jobs than the fossil fuel economy, and has for years, even though renewable energy accounts for only 11.98 percent of our domestically produced energy.

Carbon pricing, which is also coming down the tracks, will accelerate our transformation to a green economy. Will we in NE MN be ready to move ahead when it comes? Much of that depends on whether MN Power is set up to accommodate the demand for citizen-produced solar/wind energy, or if it will saddle us with rising prices since all of us (except those with extra funds, sturdy south-facing roofs, and the ability to live off the grid) will have no choice but to continue to use coal.

To learn more or sign an on-line petition, go to http://tinyurl.com/ARNSolar.

Katya Gordon

Two Harbors

http://www.energycentral.com/functional/news/news_detail.cfm?did=39191743